Well cable signal device



Nov. 20, 1956 J. GolNs WELL CABLE SIGNAL DEVICE Original Filed Feb. '7, 1950 Aff/K.

United States Patent'O WELL CABLE SIGNAL DEVICE John Goins, Hobbs, N. Mex.

Original application February 7, 1950, Serial No. 142,819. Divided and this application July 29, 1953, Serial No. 370,957

2 Claims. (Cl. 116-67) This invention relates to signaling devices and is direct* ed particularly to mechanism of this character for use in association with well drilling.

The present application constitutes a division of my prior application Serial No. 142,819, filed February 7, 1950.

ln drilling wells it frequently 'becomes necessary to pull out the tool for some purpose. This may involve the withdrawal of several thousand feet of cable and consequently, in order to waste as little time as possible, the cable is drawn up at a high speed. If some means is not employed to indicate to the hoist operator when the well tool is nearing the top of the hole considerable damage may result from the tool striking the casing head.

It is an object, in view of the foregoing, to provide a mechanism which will function at a predetermined time before the drill, or other tool, reaches the top of the wel] to give one or more signals so that the speed of the cable may be slackened.

Another object is to provide a signal mechanism which is operated by trip mem-bers carried by the hoist cable, at intervals, which members are secured to the ca'ble in a novel manner.

Another object is to provide a mechanism of the character stated which can easily be applied to the top of the well pipe, around the drill cable, without having to draw the cable from the well.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the description of the invention proceeds and the invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of the speci cation, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described since obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

ln the drawing:

Figure l is a vertical sectional view taken through the signal device longitudinally of a section of pipe which is designed to be coupled to the upper end of a well pipe.

Figure 2 is a detail section taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings the numeral generally designates the housing for the signal device, which is mounted upon the top end of a well pipe, not shown.

The housing may be of any suitable form, it being here shown as round and comprising the vertical circular wall 11 having the frusto-conical top and bottom walls 12 and 13 respectively,

Extending axially through the housing is a pipe or cylinder 14, the two ends of which extend through the centers of the walls 12 and 13, as shown in Figure 1, and are secured to such walls to form an integral part of the structure.

The structure comprising the housing 10 and pipe 14 ice is longitudinally axially divided along the division line designated x-x to form two halves which may be secured together in any suitable manner as, for example, by hinging, not here shown, but is illustrated in the parent application so that access may be conveniently had to the interior of the housing as desired.

The pipe 14 is open at its two ends and, at its bottom end, it is suitably threaded as indicated at 17, to facilitate its connection with, and the mounting of the structure on, the top end of a well pipe, not shown.

Within the lower part of the housing, in each of the two halves thereof, are the spaced horizontal brackets 18 which carry at their ends suitable spaced upright posts 19 between the upper ends of which are supported the horizontal pivot pins 20.

Each pivot pin 20 carries a rock arm 21 which is disposed radially of the housing and has its inner end extending through a longitudinal slot 22, in the pipe 14.

The inner end of each arm carries two spaced fingers 23, between which is rotatably mounted a roller 24, which is of reduced diameter around its center. The rollers 24 are in opposed, parallel relation, and the central constrictions of the two combine to provide an opening between them for the passage of the wire line or cable 25 which carries the well tool.

Supported in a suitable manner beneath the outer end of each arm 21 is a piston cylinder 26 in which is a piston 27.

The piston 27 has connected therewith an end of a rod 28 which passes up through the cylinder top 29 and is attached at its top end to the overlying arm 21, |by a hinge clamp 30.

The bottom of each cylinder 26 has an air outlet pipe 31 leading therefrom through a check valve 32.

The pipe 31 leads to a pressure operated switch, not shown, by means of which a suitable signaling device may be operated in accordance wit-h the illustration and descriptions of the structure disclosed and claimed in the parent application.

Each piston rod 28 has therearound a coil spring 36 which bears at its lower end on the cylinder top 29 and is attached at its top end to the piston rod, as shown, and constantly tends to raise the piston.

Upon the top of each half of the housing, above an arm 21, is mounted an audible signal, in the form of a mechanically sounded bell 37, on the supporting post 38 of which is pivoted a striker or hammer 39.

Below the hammer, the top 12 has an opening 40 and upon the underside of the top 12, is a relatively long guide sleeve 41, which is aligned with the hole.

Loosely extending through the sleeve is an end portion of a rod 42, the lower end of which is pivotally coupled to the inner end of the underlying arm as indicated at 43. The top ends of the rods 42 are directed toward the overlying hammers and upon upward movement of the attached arm 21 `the hammer will be made to strike the bell as will be apparent. Each rod 42 has a spring 42a therearound, which bears at one end against the lower end of the guide 41 and has its other end secured to the rod, as shown. Thus when the rod 4l is forced upward the spring 42a is compressed and assists in returning the rod and the arm 21 to starting position. At the same time the outer end of the arm 21 will force the adjacent piston down to actuate the hereinbefore referred to pressure operated signal.

The upward swinging of the adjacent inner ends of the arms 21, is eifected by one or more of the trip members 44, carried at spaced intervals on the cable 25, passing between the rollers 24.

The trip members 44 are fixed within the strands of the cable as hereinafter described and such trip members comprise long elliptical bodies made of rubber and ber 3 or other suitable material, and divided lengthwise into the two sections c. Each of these sections cairies, adjaject to each end, a pair of wire lingers 4S and the body has an axial bore 46 therethrough, one half of the bore being in each of the sections c, which receives a part of the cable.

In mounting the trip members 44 on the cable, the outer strands of the cable are separated and pulled out and the trip member is inserted beneath such strands. As shown in Figures 2 and 3 the cable 25 comprises an inner part 25a and an outer part ZSb. The strands comprising the outer part of the cable are pulled ont or separated from the inner part and the two sections of the trip member are then placed in position around the inner part and the lingers 4S are bent around the inner part as shown. The outer strands 25b are then pulled back into place so as to encircle the trip member as illustrated. Thus it will be seen that the trip members are actually g77-Lose embedded in the cable structure and all possibility of their becoming loose or slipping on the cable is prevented.

At the top end of the pipe 14 the cable 25 passes between two grooved rollers 47 which have end trunnions 48 slidably and rotatably supported in guide slots 49 formed in spaced, end opposed arms 50, carried by the pipe 14. Springs 51 in the slots 49, urge the rollers together, but yield to permit the trip members 44 to pass.

From the foregoing it will be seen that there is provided in the present invention a relatively simple signaling mechanism which can be easily applied to and removed from a Well pipe or casing and which will function eiciently to give the required warning signals.

I claim:

1. The combination with a well drill cable, of a cylindrical housing, a pipe extending axially through the housing for connection with the top end of a well casing and the passage of the cable therethrough, said pipe having opposite vertically slotted openings intermediate the ends of the portion thereof enclosed by the casing, posts rising vertically within the lower portion of said casing, a pair of radially disposed rocker arms pivotally mounted on the upper end of said posts with the opposed inner ends of said arms extending into said pipe through said openings, means for yieldably retaining said arms in a substantially horizontal position, a roller carried on each of the opposed inner ends of said arms for engaging said cable passing therebetween, a trip member carried by the cable to engage the rollers upon upward movement of the cable to elect the upward swing of the inner ends of the arms, sounding signal units carried by said casing and means operably connected with each of said rocker arms and with said signal units whereby upon engagement of said trip member with said rollers to swing the inner ends of said arms upwardly said signal units will be actuated.

2. The invention according to claim 1, with a pair of opposed arms mounted within the pipe above the first mentioned arms, a pair of opposed rollers supported by the second mentioned pair of arms and having a kcable passing therebetween in engagement therewith, the last mentioned rollers cooperating with the rst mentioned rollers to effect the centering of the cable in the pipe during movement of said cable and other spring means carried by the second mentioned arms whereby the rollers carried thereby may move apart during the passage of a trip member between the same.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,982,184 Williams Nov. 27, 1934 2,107,952 McGee Feb. 8, 1938 2,480,490 Mark Aug. 30, 1949 2,556,267 Gahagan June l2, 1951 

